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Author
Topic: $39,587.91 make me hollah! (Read 4351 times)

Some of you may remember the thread I made back in June or July about this mysterious, monstrously large check I received in the mail in the amount of $39,587.91

I spent an entire month making phone calls, and getting transferred from one moron to another, to try to figure out why I'd received this check -- I talked to at least eight people, taking notes of the calls. Some said deposit it, others said tear it up. None of them could explain the check, and in fact the place the check is drawn on is some 3rd party entity that just handles refunds for other companies, like Wellcare who I have my Medicare Pt. D though. But then other than Wellcare, and equally clueless entity, I talked to places like Walgreen South Initiatives (clueless) and a lady named Jacqueline who seemed very on top of things, until she promised to call me back with answers and, naturally, never called me back.

The check is dated 06/20/2011 and says in small print that it's void if not cased in 120 days. So, alas that time to cash this check has past by a month.

But what is odd, is that just yesterday I received another communication from the entity that cut me that large check. It's a two page "remittance advice" that lists every claim number, date of service, RX number and corresponding reimbursement amount that adds up to the original $39,587.91 However in one place where my "account" is listed the account number is described as "State of PA-The Pace Pro" and the group account is "AARP Medicare RX Saver" (I don't recall being ever on AARP).

I'm tempted to call up Prescription Solutions (the entity that issued the check in the first place) and request a replacement check Do you think they'd do this? Then I'd just deposit (like I should have originally done, and was going to but I thought I had sex months not four) in an account but not spend it -- or better yet purchase some stocks and then just use the proceeds over the years. Then if they want the money back years down the road it's there.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I think you know the answer -- or you wouldn't be asking and would have cashed it months ago.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true. And if it was meant for a government entitiy and you cash it -- you could be facing criminal charges, not just a need a to pay it back.

Of course -- you will do as you will do, but them is my 2 cents.

Mike

Why would I face criminal charges? -- the place made the check out to me as the payee, and I did more than due diligence to find why they sent it to me. One guy even said to just cash it. It's not like I forged a check made out to someone else. At most they would place a judgement on the funds, and as I said I'd not spend the money, just use it to make more money off it as principal. So if something happened I could just give the money back in full.

What's really lame is that they mailed me the remittance advice detailing the breakdown of the payment, but sent AFTER the check had expired. This is something I requested from them back in July. I'd say that this is the government at work, but it's not the government -- it's an example of Republicans outsourcing Medicare-D payments to private companies, and then these private companies turn around and outsource contracts to several other companies, so in the end nobody knows what's going on and you get a situation like this where great gobs of money is wasted.

But hey, I bet the CEO's of the companies donate substantial amounts of money to Republican candidates so it's all good. Yet they still blame the federal government for ruining the country, and the average voter hasn't a clue.

Why would I face criminal charges? -- the place made the check out to me as the payee, and I did more than due diligence to find why they sent it to me. One guy even said to just cash it. It's not like I forged a check made out to someone else. At most they would place a judgement on the funds, and as I said I'd not spend the money, just use it to make more money off it as principal. So if something happened I could just give the money back in full.

Now, you know as well as I do -- the government doesn't care about facts when it comes to getting what is "theirs". You can submit all kinds of proof, but if they say you "stole" it they will come at you. I could write a book about how the state of Mass. screwed me over for years about what they said was missing child support (even though it ALWAYS came out of my paycheck). They hounded me for years, I supplied proof of being current over and over and they reply was always, "our computer shows you are delinquent". The took tax refunds and even emptied my checking account once (without any notice -- can you say bounced checks). It ended up, of course, being an error in their computer. They sent me a refund, but never reimbursed me for the cost of the couple of bounced checks from their "theft" of my checking account.

So -- all I'm saying is, you know this money isn't due you, as I recall you saying. You know it's a mistake. Cashing it could be tantamount to theft in the eyes of whomever is actually owed this money. You went much farther than I ever would have in trying to alert someone of their error -- to your credit. at this point, just shred the old check and forget about it.

What's really lame is that they mailed me the remittance advice detailing the breakdown of the payment, but sent AFTER the check had expired. This is something I requested from them back in July. I'd say that this is the government at work, but it's not the government -- it's an example of Republicans outsourcing Medicare-D payments to private companies, and then these private companies turn around and outsource contracts to several other companies, so in the end nobody knows what's going on and you get a situation like this where great gobs of money is wasted.

But hey, I bet the CEO's of the companies donate substantial amounts of money to Republican candidates so it's all good. Yet they still blame the federal government for ruining the country, and the average voter hasn't a clue.

^ this is awesome ^

Just get another check, cash it and go to Vegas. Sheesh, not understanding what the problem is.

What you should have done was deposit the check into a saving account ( by it self) and not spend any of the money, seems to me if the checked cleared the bank, then you aren't criminally liable ( especially if you didn't spend any of it ).......just saying

Logged

"it's so nice to be insane, cause no-one ask you to explain" Helen Reddy cc 1974

Now, you know as well as I do -- the government doesn't care about facts when it comes to getting what is "theirs". You can submit all kinds of proof, but if they say you "stole" it they will come at you. I could write a book about how the state of Mass. screwed me over for years about what they said was missing child support (even though it ALWAYS came out of my paycheck). They hounded me for years, I supplied proof of being current over and over and they reply was always, "our computer shows you are delinquent". The took tax refunds and even emptied my checking account once (without any notice -- can you say bounced checks). It ended up, of course, being an error in their computer. They sent me a refund, but never reimbursed me for the cost of the couple of bounced checks from their "theft" of my checking account.

So -- all I'm saying is, you know this money isn't due you, as I recall you saying. You know it's a mistake. Cashing it could be tantamount to theft in the eyes of whomever is actually owed this money. You went much farther than I ever would have in trying to alert someone of their error -- to your credit. at this point, just shred the old check and forget about it.

Mike

1) the money isn't issued by the government, it's from "Prescription Solutions" which handles reimbursements for other companies.

2) I'm not going to spend the money -- just put it in an interest bearing account until they ask for it back (which I doubt they'd ever do as when I called they didn't even have a record of the check). That's not theft, that's just safe keeping.

3) Anyway, I doubt they're going to re-issue the check anyway Still lame that 2 months after the check expired they sent me this detailed remittance advice form. I bet the money is actually owed to ADAP in Harrisburg.

1) the money isn't issued by the government, it's from "Prescription Solutions" which handles reimbursements for other companies.

I get that -- but it seems like the rightful recipient of the check may be a governmental entity -- that was my point (and you seem to think the same).

Although I am a little taken back by the fact I am the only one saying NOT to cash this check. I don't get why anyone thinks it is OK to take money that isn't really yours -- looking for a "technicality" to profit from the mistake of someone else.

At any rate, I am not the one with the decision -- was just giving my 2 cents.

I get that -- but it seems like the rightful recipient of the check may be a governmental entity -- that was my point (and you seem to think the same).

Although I am a little taken back by the fact I am the only one saying NOT to cash this check. I don't get why anyone thinks it is OK to take money that isn't really yours -- looking for a "technicality" to profit from the mistake of someone else.

At any rate, I am not the one with the decision -- was just giving my 2 cents.

Mike

Oh Mike, we all know you're risk averse -- how the hell did you get AIDS in the first place? You're a rather conservative queer, ya know. It's that rough side of the tracks upbringing in Boston I tell ya.

Anyway, did I cash the check when I had the chance? NO Give me a little credit.

ps: hey, did you hear about the impending ICA designed by NYC starchitect Steven Holl going up at the corner of Belvidere and Broad? I might have to come down for a visit when it's done in four years.

call them up and see if they will send a replacement check. that gives them a second chance to get it right and if they don't then put it away and do what the 1% do and use the money made, not that it will be a lot but better than zero. if they want it back someday in the future you'll have it. you might also check the statute of limitations on something like this, it might surprise you. not sure what you'd call it but they are voluntarily sending it to you, you're not holding them up.

Although I am a little taken back by the fact I am the only one saying NOT to cash this check. I don't get why anyone thinks it is OK to take money that isn't really yours -- looking for a "technicality" to profit from the mistake of someone else.

You're not alone. I stand firmly against claiming almost forty thousand dollars of someone else's money as one's own, even if the check was mistakenly made out in one's name. I once had about $2,600 accidentally deposited in my account by bank error. Did I spend it or anything? NO! I promptly informed the bank of the error so the poor soul whose money was in MY account could get it back.

Oh Mike, we all know you're risk averse -- how the hell did you get AIDS in the first place? You're a rather conservative queer, ya know. It's that rough side of the tracks upbringing in Boston I tell ya.

Anyway, did I cash the check when I had the chance? NO Give me a little credit.

ps: hey, did you hear about the impending ICA designed by NYC starchitect Steven Holl going up at the corner of Belvidere and Broad? I might have to come down for a visit when it's done in four years.

I got AIDS from a toilet seat -- the one time I didn't use a paper seat cover of course -- where did you get yours??

I did give you credit, btw.... you tried much harder than I ever would have tried to find out what was going on with the check. I probably would have a made a call or two and when I got no where, would written "VOID" across the check and mailed it back from whence it came.

My upbringing occurred entirely within the borders of RI dear -- I moved to Boston as an adult.

I had NOT heard about the ICA development. That will be a nice addition -- I always liked the ICA in Boston, it was a short walk from my apt -- although, it has since moved to much larger quarters.It's a long ways off -- but if you do come down to Richmond, let me know -- I would love to meet Philly royalty.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

This reminds me of when Sofia Petrillo began receiving tons of SS checks and she cashed them, but Dorothy guilted her into giving them back after she had rolled around naked in the money. Did you at least roll around naked with the check? Dorothy did the whole guilt trip---It's not yours, you always taught me right from wrong, and think of what America has done for you. Sofia begged for a big screen TV for all 7 seasons and never got it. She should have kept the money!

Seriously, I would have been so tempted to deposit the check and just hold on to it. It would be funny, if that money is put into your state's unclaimed property/money under your name. I've searched under my name, but not a dime.

Deposit it in the overnight deposit. If you take it to a teller, they verify the dates. The processing centers don't. They mass process them. Wait a month, then go shopping. I'd call a portion of it found money and hoard the rest for when they come.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Depositing a check you know you aren't entitled to seems a little risky to me. Regardless of your good intentions, isn't there something about endorsing the back and putting it in your account that has legal implications if the check is erroneous? But perhaps you should see if there is a free legal clinic that could advise you.

I don't think so -- I'm not forging a check. It's clearly made out to me as the payee, and the stub just says "refund". Legally they could later say the check was an error and issue a judgement to recover the funds, and since I wasn't planning on spending the money and only using it as principal to earn interest I could immediately pay it back.

But the "remittance advice" 2-page form (which, by the way, the cover letter that came with the original check back in JUNE referenced would be forthcoming in a timely matter... and not FIVE months later after the check was worthless (the 120 days thing) is a different matter. I'm not joking -- there are at least one hundred listed claim numbers, dates of service, Rx numbers, and then the corresponding reimbursement amount -- all totally the $39,587.91 on the original check.

The bottom line is that someone is owed the money -- it may all be very well connected to my Medicare Part D prescription plan and/or ADAP. I have no idea. I sent copies of the original check to my case manager but she was useless, but then the check didn't have all of the two page breakdown that the just received remittance advice does, so maybe I'll try meeting with her again.

I still can't believe I talked to 5-6 people back in July about this check and none of them had a clue what the check was, and some of them couldn't even locate the check in their computers. It's amazing how dumb some of these people are working in healthcare. But hey folks -- at least our healthcare isn't socialist!

They issued a refund for overpayment check of over $1000.oo to a person for whom I am guardian. The check was drawn on Prescription "Solutions" Wells Fargo account. So, I went to the local Wells Fargo branch and they refused to cash the check, stating that Prescription Solution's checking account was set up so that their checks could ONLY BE DEPOSITED, not cashed! That's funny, the check didn't say "For Deposit Only" on it or anything. It was simply made out to my ward's name. I have never heard of such foolishness.

I asked my bank if I could open a checking account and make it so that every check I write cannot be cashed, but had to be deposited and they said they couldn't do that. So anyway I deposited the check, and Prescription Solutions HAS REFUSED TO PAY the check and has charged it back. I think they are issuing PHONY CHECKS and should be prosecuted for perpetuating SCAMS on the public, and probably upon the government too!

I still can't believe I talked to 5-6 people back in July about this check and none of them had a clue what the check was, and some of them couldn't even locate the check in their computers. It's amazing how dumb some of these people are working in healthcare. But hey folks -- at least our healthcare isn't socialist!

And, some working for Social Security. I was recently talking to a guy at the HIV doc, who was just awarded SSDI. The judge set his disability date back to 2001. He had an appt at the social security office with a representative. She told him, "Wow, you're a rich man now." She added up his monthly benefit amount going back to that 2001 disability date set by the judge and gave him a figure of over $100,000. He was so happy and planning to pay off his mortgage, medical bills, and money he borrowed from family. He didn't know she was sooooo wrong about how far back they pay backpay. I don't know how a SS rep wouldn't have known that. Geez! I felt so bad for him for thinking he would be able to pay off debts. The judge setting it back that far just meant he would get more money per month, as they would use his earnings from back then when they were higher.

Yes, I'm starting to think there's some potential fraud -- whether it's intentional or not I do not know.

The remittance advice they just sent me covers dates all in calendar year 2010. My Med-D coverage was with Wellcare that year, as it is for 2011. Yet this document lists an account number and group number that do not match with my Wellcare card. It lists account numbers and group numbers for PACE (Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly) and, alas, obviously I'm not 65 or older.

I'm really not sure what to do with any of this -- they don't even provide a customer service number on this correspondence, though I did find one on line. I really hesitate to call -- last July when I'd make inquiries I'd get continually shuffled around from one department to another, and even to entirely separate companies that they outsource this stuff to, and not a single person could ever sort out what was going on. My notes that I took show I talked to eight different people over a two week period. Seriously, how much do these morons get paid for these jobs?

And, some working for Social Security. I was recently talking to a guy at the HIV doc, who was just awarded SSDI. The judge set his disability date back to 2001. He had an appt at the social security office with a representative. She told him, "Wow, you're a rich man now." She added up his monthly benefit amount going back to that 2001 disability date set by the judge and gave him a figure of over $100,000. He was so happy and planning to pay off his mortgage, medical bills, and money he borrowed from family. He didn't know she was sooooo wrong about how far back they pay backpay. I don't know how a SS rep wouldn't have known that. Geez! I felt so bad for him for thinking he would be able to pay off debts. The judge setting it back that far just meant he would get more money per month, as they would use his earnings from back then when they were higher.

That sounds questionable -- when I was awarded SSDI I also received retroactive pay but I distinctly recall the limit being 12 months. However, if you had to go through an appeals process for SSDI approval you can get longer retroactive payments possibly, but I've still always heard it's limited to 12 months. Hey should use a tax specialist for this large payment so he doesn't have it eaten up in owed taxes, if he's accurate in what he's telling you.

Let me put it this way -- my SSDI was approved in October 2002, but the "effective date" of disability was July 2001. That's 15 months, but I only received retroactive pay for 12 months as that's the limit.

Similarly, there is a waiting period of 2 years to get on Medicare, but since my SSDI was effective July 2001, I only had to wait another 9 monhts to get on Medicare, or July 2003.

Shred the check or mail it back and move on. You have provided ample evidence that it shouldn't have been sent to you (unless, like Wumpy, you are lying about your age). I give you credit for trying so hard, but at some point it will start to become obsessive.

Shred the check or mail it back and move on. You have provided ample evidence that it shouldn't have been sent to you (unless, like Wumpy, you are lying about your age). I give you credit for trying so hard, but at some point it will start to become obsessive.

Mike

Shred the check? Now that's too simple. I was just going to write "FUCK YOU" several times with a red marker.

I still might give Jacqueline and/or Kevin a call -- they were the top honchos that I finally reached back in July. Especially Jacqui -- she was a bit sassy for her own good and I'd love to let her know she doesn't have a clue what she's doing at her job.

I would think a journalist might be interested, that way they do the work you can have fame or "an actors voice" some cranky right wing nut will read about it think your the bees Knees and send you the money for your upstanding honesty.Easy and obvious.m

Logged

"If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people ." Tony Benn